WWI

Which War does it Memorialize? — Memorial Day was not universally recognized as a shared American Holiday until after World War I. But that’s not how it started in the United States. When did it begin? Civil War and Memorial Day Following the American Civil War or the “War Between the States,” as it was known in the South, various locations…

WWI soldiers get the chance to strut their stuff, after the war Buried amongst the artifacts from my grandfather’s WWI service in the IEF is a curious little booklet. …

النسخة العربية هنا A century ago, several powerful oil and gas companies divided the Middle East into spheres of influence, shaping the region’s political and economic landscape. …

The unluckiest or luckiest man at sea? — Arthur John Priest (1887–1937) was a stoker who toiled in the depths of steamships, feeding their boilers immense volumes of coal. This was physically demanding and crucial work. He was serving aboard RMS Asturias and RMS Olympic in 1908 and 1911 respectively when both ships experienced major collisions. Probably thinking…

Episode three. — This guy is quite a mixed character. You could call him ‘a castle-general’ in the sense that he isn’t recorded as visiting the front very often (if at all) but then, apart from Canadian generals and later in the war, US generals, not many of those generals ever did wander…

Episode two. — In my last article, I talked about a general who really outdid himself in proving to the world how low one can descend to when one persists in stupidity. Or when trying to gain admission in the Stupid Hall of Fame. Now today’s fellow should be a record holder for…

Episode one. — A fellow writer, here on Medium gave me an idea for this article. I was getting tired of fighting off the Putin-trolls, you know the propagandists who want to make you believe that NATO provoked Russia and that the Ukrainians attacked the people of the DonBass, etc. So, since I’ve…

Or how Canada, once again, punched way, way above its weight. — Sometimes, people ask me why I’m so interested in WW I. Well, two reasons. One is that it is the brutal and fundamental change upon which our present-day civilization is based upon. Two, is that, for my country, Canada, it was a catastrophe beyond imagination. A different story than for…

And how a few excellent books help you understand the mentality. — A few minutes ago, as I was discussing with my barber, a fine fellow with a great hunger for learning, how the war in Ukraine is a direct descendant of the Cold War, which is a direct consequence of WW II. And the major cause of WW II ? …